Our Priorities, 

Now and Next

     

    Now: 2026

    1. Better City Storm Response & Maintenance

      • The updated City storm response plan, expected since March 2025, remains pending, with no meaningful progress since the December 2025 meeting with the Mayor's Chief of Staff and Councilmember Seekings. HVA requested improved preventive maintenance for storm inlets and piping, which resulted in a City commitment for six additional pre-storm cleanings annually in Harleston Village. HVA also seeks a faster operational storm response (including timely barricade deployment, consistent enforcement, and better post-storm communication), but the City has not yet provided an update or allocated the resources for this strategy.

    2. Bennett/Gadsden Street Permanent Pump station, 2026 - Requested funding for 2026. Received high priority status for conceptual design and funding to be confirmed. Timing unknown.

    3. Other infrastructure projects remain pending with no status updates: Calhoun Check Valve, and Long Lake management.

    Near-term: 2027

    1. Kneewall on Lockwood, Completion, 2027 - Status Update: All necessary permits have been secured. Progress was previously delayed by the need to identify the owner of property situated beneath Ashley waters; this has now been resolved.

      • Timeline: Construction is slated to commence in the latter half of 2026, with full project completion anticipated in 2027.

      • Neighborhood Benefits: This initiative will specifically address and decrease the frequency of "sunny day" flooding events currently affecting Lockwood Drive in Harleston Village.

    Long-term: 2028+

    1. Calhoun Street Drainage Improvements - Mitigating flooding on Calhoun Street by storing and discharging water to the Ashley River remains a critical Harleston Village priority. Flooding here routinely blocks emergency access and damages property. The issue will worsen with the MUSC expansion, 295 Calhoun development, and the Lowcountry Rapid Transit terminus. Funding depends on a $225 million transportation sales tax referendum in November. HVA successfully worked with Councilmember Mike Seekings and County Councilmember Robert Wehrman for its inclusion; final project scope and funding will be determined once the Battery Extension funding is secured

    What you can do

    1. Amplify the voice of the HVA board and flooding/resilience committee. Let the elected officials know the importance of improved storm response and improved routine maintenance to Harleston Village, one of the most frequently flooded neighborhoods in the city of Charleston.

    2. Urge prioritization and quick action on installation of the permit pump station on Gadsden-Bennett intersection

    3. Advocate to city officials for the advancement of the overdue Kneewall project and insist on increased transparency and regular progress reports regarding its status.

    4. Advocate for the Calhoun Street drainage improvements and passage of the 2026 TST tax referendum on November 4, 2026. It is a one-in-25-year opportunity for Harleston Village!

    Chronology of Committee Actions Taken

    Efforts by members of the committee to engage with city officials to learn about the projects and gather status information is an ongoing effort. Below is a quick chronology of actions taken over the past 12 months.

    • March 2025 - Ongoing: Coordinated continually with Councilmember Mike Seekings regarding improved storm response, inlet maintenance, and the inclusion of Calhoun Street drainage improvements on the Transportation Sales Tax (TST) referendum project list. (A primary concern remains entering the 2026 storm season without a clearly improved City operational storm response plan.)

    • Summer 2025: The City funded and prioritized a permanent pump station at Bennett–Gadsden, though timing remains pending (confirmed by budget presentation and a neighborhood consortium resolution in October 2025).

    • July 2025 - May 2026: Following reports and inspections, blocked Ashley Avenue inlets appeared to have been cleared and/or repaired.

    • October - November 2025: Advocated during TST City Council Hearings, emphasizing that Calhoun Street drainage deficiencies affect the broader drainage basin and much of Harleston Village.

    • December 2025: Met with Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Liz Dieck, to discuss storm response concerns. No updates since.

    • January 5, 2025: Community meeting with County Councilmember Robert Wehrman, County Engineering Staff and Mike Seekings, City Councilmember on proposed TST projects resolution by HVA for support of Cowans Street drainage improvements.

    • February - March 2026: Held multiple discussions with the City’s Chief Resilience Officer regarding the Battery Extension, Knee wall project (projected completion: 2027), and related resiliency initiatives.

    • March 2026: Secured a commitment from the City for six additional pre-storm inlet cleanings annually.

    • May 3, 2026: HVA published a guest editorial in The Post and Courier advocating for a balance between long-term resiliency projects and immediate neighborhood flooding needs.

    • May 7, 2026: Flood response concerns were publicly raised with Councilmember Mike Seekings at the HVA neighborhood meeting.

    • May 2026: Met with the Union Pier development team regarding neighborhood flood modeling and potential mitigation applications.

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